Greatest  Borough 

of the  * 

Greatest  City 

iivihe 

World 

INDUSTRIAL 
ADVANTAGES 


BROOKLYN  CHAMBER  of  COMMERCE 
 3^Gourt  St  ^  /  t 


I 


IE*  IGtbrts 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


FORT   NEW  AMSTERDAM. 


(MEW  YORK  )  ,  1651. 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  hook 

Because  it  has  heen  said 
"  Ever' thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  hook." 


OLD   YORK   LIBRARY  —  OLD   YORK  FOUNDATION 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


NEW    YORK  CITY 


Why  it  is  the  Fourth  Industrial 
City  of  the  United  States 


Prepared  by  the 

INDUSTRIAL  DEPARTMENT  of  the 
BROOKLYN  CHAMBER  ^COMMERCE 

THIRTY-TWO  COURT  STREET 
BROOKLYN- NEW  YORK 


1923 


Foreword 


ROOKLYN  is  the  fourth  greatest  indus- 
trial centre  in  this  country.  In  this 
booklet  we  have  tried  to  tell  the  reader 
in  a  few  words  why  this  large  borough 
of  the  Greater  City  of  New  York  still 
offers  so  many  opportunities  for  new  industries  or 
the  expansion  of  old  industries. 

Brooklyn  was  first  settled  in  1636,  and  was  known 
as  the  village  of  Breuckelen,  later  changed  to  Brook- 
land,  and  then  to  its  present  name,  Brooklyn.  For 
nearly  200  years  it  was  a  city  of  farm  lands  and 
vineyards.  Its  citizens  were  chiefly  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  corn  and  tobacco. 

Chartered  as  a  city,  in  1834,  Brooklyn  began  to 
realize  its  destiny  as  a  city  of  homes,  a  dwelling 
place  for  the  great,  growing  number  of  those  gain- 
fully employed  in  New  York. 

Somewhat  incidentally,  in  the  course  of  this  devel- 
opment, it  was  discovered  that  Brooklyn  was  admir- 
ably situated  for  commerce.  Its  people  ventured 
into  trading  overseas,  and  the  clipper  ships  of  the 
Forties  carried  the  name  of  the  city  to  the  far 
corners  of  the  earth,  and  in  a  relatively  few  years 
Brooklyn  has  built  up  an  industrial  centre  exceeded 
in  size  by  those  of  only  three  other  cities  in  the 
country,  Manhattan  (New  York  City),  Chicago 
and  Philadelphia. 


Page  Two 


Fadls  About  Brooklyn 

1.  Brooklyn'  has  an  area  of  80.95  square  miles,  with  a  shore  front  of 
201  miles,  and  an  improved  water  front  of  25  miles. 

2.  Brooklyn  is  third  in  population  and  fourth  in  industry  in  the  United 
States. 

3.  Brooklyn  freight  rates  are  comparable  with  those  of  any  eastern  city. 

4.  Brooklyn  will  have  direct  rail  connections  with  all  transcontinental 
lines  without  lighterage  when  the  proposed  freight  tunnels  are  built. 

5.  Brooklyn  is  an  integral  part  of  the  financial  center  of  the  world, 
New  York  City. 

6.  Brooklyn  is  an  integral  part  of  one  of  the  greatest  buying  and 
selling  markets  of  the  world,  New  York  City. 

7.  Brooklyn  has  one  of  the  best  labor  markets  in  the  world. 

8.  Brooklyn  is  one  of  the  healthiest  cities  in  the  world. 

9.  Brooklyn  is  a  city  of  homes,  schools  and  churches. 

10.  Brooklyn  handles  more  than  one  quarter  of  the  foreign  commerce  of 
the  United  States. 

\h  Brooklyn's  finished  products  amount  to  more  than  $1,120,000,000 
annually. 

12.  Brooklyn  has  nearly  900  miles  of  paved  streets  and  about  29  miles 
of  boulevards. 

13.  Brooklyn  has  193  public  and  private  schools,  w  ith  an  enrollment  of 
over  350,000  pupils,  the  second  largest  number  in  the  United  States. 

14.  Brooklyn  has  nearly  500  miles  of  street  railway  tracks,  including 
subway,  surface  and  elevated  lines. 

15.  Brooklyn  has  plenty  of  available  land  for  industrial  development. 


Page  Thtee 


Industrial  Importance 

Brooklyn  is  a  part  of  the  largest  industrial  center  in  the  world  due 
to  its  ideal  location  both  as  regards  men  and  material.  Witness  the  gains 
in  the  last  few  years. 

1899  1904  1909  1914  1919 

No.  of  establishments  4,301  4,182  5,218  6,096  6,738 
Average  No.  Wage 

Earners    87,445  104,995  123,883  140,881  166,724 

Capital    invested...  $263,471,000  $313,452,000  $362,337,000  $448,757,000  $729,166,203 

Wages  and            {  42,341,000  54,535,000  68,328,000 

Salaries   J  9,097,000  13,521,000  21,146,000  109,832,000  266,514,179 

Value    of  materials 

used    206,335,000  230,809,000  235,132,000  298,269,000  670,470,696 

Value  of  products.  .  313,617,489  373,462,930  417,222,770  515,303,000  1,184,973,144 


The  Home  of  Varied  Industries 


Brooklyn's  strategic  location  also  accounts 
products  manufactured,  which  rivals  any  of  the 
The  variety  is  indicated  by  the  following  larger 


for  the  great  diversity  of 
great  manufacturing  cities, 
groups : 


Boots  and  Shoes  

Bread  and  Bakery  Products.... 

Men's  Clothing   

Women's  Clothing   

Confectionery  and  Ice  Cream... 

Copper,  Tin  and  Sheet  Iron  

Foundry  and  Machine  Products. 

Furniture   

Knit  Goods   

Printing  and  Publishing  

Tobacco  and  Cigars  

Food  Products   

Automobile  Repairing   

Millinery  and  Lace  Goods  

Paints  and  Varnishes  


No. 

No.  Persons 

Value 

Establishments 

Employed 

of  Products 

143 

9,725 

$45,158,936 

837 

6,062 

39,397,797 

507 

13,115 

35,680,343 

558 

8,345 

26,695,969 

231 

4,465 

25,859,532 

130 

1,057 

4,550,893 

207 

13,932 

32,417,504 

118 

2,934 

14,641,657 

241 

6,702 

43,185,419 

267 

2,577 

7,804,340 

408 

2,950 

35,761,932 

100 

1,497 

8,572,981 

124 

737 

2,543,354 

108 

1,383 

2,153,264 

68 

2,265 

37,677,776 

Page  Four 


The  Labor  Supply 

For  the  economic  and  efficient  development  of  industry,  labor  is  one  of 
the  essential  factors.  Brooklyn  is  fortunate  in  this  respect.  Located  as  it 
is  at  the  gateway  of  the  country's  immigration,  an  unlimited  supply  of  both 
skilled  and  unskilled  labor  is  always  available.  Brooklyn  has  a  foreign 
population  of  659,287,  representing  49  nationalities.  The  leading  races  are 
Russian  189,481,  Italian  138,245,  German  56,778,  Irish  53,660. 

Brooklyn  offers  unusual  educational,  religious,  recreational  and  home 
facilities  to  the  working  man,  which  means  a  satisfied  and  satisfactory  employee 
and  makes  for  production  efficiency,  and  incidentally  lowers  labor  turnover 
among  the  manufacturers. 


Page  Six 


Transportation 

Brooklyn's  201  mile  swing  of  waterfront  is  unique.  Every  trunk 
line  railroad  coming  to  tidewater  reaches  Brooklyn.  Its  dominating  water- 
front is  a  commercial  asset  to  the  entire  country,  and  as  such  is  linked  with 
the  transportation  of  the  country,  from  Bath  to  Coronado,  and  Seattle  to 
Key  West.  The  eastern  terminals  of  the  transcontinental  carriers  are  not 
where  the  tracks  end,  but  where  the  cartioat  service  delivers  the  freight,  in 
the  cars,  at  the  multiple  terminals  along  the  Brooklyn  shore. 

To  New  England  the  rail  connection  is  direct.  The  New  York  Con- 
necting Railroad,  which  links  Long  Island  and  New  England  via  the  Hell 
Gate  bridge,  unites  the  services  of  the  New  ^  ork.  New  Haven  and  Hartford 
and  the  Long  Island  Railroads.  Freight  is  received  and  delivered  at  Long 
Island  Railroad  depots  in  Brooklyn  for  forwarding  via  all  trunk  line  carriers. 
Direct  traffic  destined  to  the  North  and  East  goes  over  the  New  York 
Connecting  Railroad.  In  a  recent  year  the  number  of  cars  interchanged 
between  the  New  Haven  and  the  Pennsylvania  Railroads,  via  Long  Island 
and  New  York  Connecting  roads,  was  478,000. 


\ 


The  meeting  of  the  shipping  of  the  world  with  the  rail  transportation 
of  a  continent  is  what  accounts  for  Brooklyn's  present  industrial  preeminence, 
and  will  account  for  her  world  supremacy  in  years  to  come.  Grasp  the 
logic  of  it,  you  manufacturers,  as  those  who  are  here  have  done. 

The  map  on  pages  16  and  17  shows  Brooklyn's  present  freight  handling 
facilities  and  the  route  of  the  proposed  marginal  railroad.  It  also  shows  the 
proposed  tunnel  under  the  bay  to  New  Jersey,  which  when  completed  will  give 
Brooklyn  manufacturers  direct  rail  connections  with  the  transcontinental 
carriers  of  the  country,  and  will  permit  the  direct  all  rail  shipments  in  carload 
lots  from  the  factorv  and  warehouse. 


©  FAIRCHILD    AERIAL    CAMERA  CORP. 


Types  of  Waterfront  Industrial  Punts 


Page  Eight 


Warehouses 


Closely  aliened  with  the  transportation  facilities  of  Brooklyn  are  its  ware- 
houses. Brooklyn  has  more  warehouses  than  all  the  other  boroughs  of  the 
city  combined,  namely:  Brooklyn  334,  Manhattan  255,  Richmond  52, 
Queens  7,  Bronx  2. 

In  the  Hush  Terminal  is  found  an  epitcme  of  the  industrial  establishment 
of  Brooklyn;  an  illustration  of  commerce  and  industry  in  mesh,  as  it  were,  to 
the  point  of  perfection.  Here  is  a  manufacturing  warehouse  and  shipping 
heehive  which,  although  a  private  enterprise,  has  the  character  of  a  $42,000,000 
public  development.  It  covers  an  area  of  20  city  blocks  of  property,  between 
39th  and  51st  streets,  extending  along  3,100  feet  of  waterfront,  improved 
with  eight  immense  piers,  seven  of  which  are  one-quarter  mile  long.  Loft 
buildings,  extending  700  feet  in  length  and  to  12  stories  in  height,  provide 
5.000,000  square  feet  of  space  for  manufacturing  purposes. 

Shipping  and  railroad  service  meet  here,  delivering  the  materials  for  manu- 
facturing to  the  warehouses  and  factories  and  removing  the  finished  product. 
The  Bush  Terminal  has  thirty  miles  of  track,  affording  local  transportation 
in  a  clearing  house  of  freight,  and  at  the  same  time  providing  contact  with  the 
transportation  system  of  the  country.  In  recent  months  the  trunk  lines  have 
inaugurated  a  daily  through-car  service  from  the  Terminal  to  the  South  and 
West. 

A  vision  of  the  future  might  reveal  something  of  the  character  of  the  Bush 
Terminal,  vastly  magnified  along  the  Brooklyn  waterfront,  from  Greenpoint 
to  Bay  Ridge.  This  will  come  with  the  projected  municipal  improvement 
known  as  the  Marginal  Railroad,  binding  together  piers,  warehouses,  factories 
and  rail rond  terminals. 


Page  Auie 


Waterfront 

Brooklyn's  shore  line  has  the  natural  advantages  of  deep  water  and 
excellent  harbor  facilities.  The  total  length  of  Brooklyn's  waterfront  measur- 
ing along  the  shore  line  is  201.5  miles.  The  waterfront  around  the  pierhead 
and  slips  is  110.7  miles.  The  improved  shorefront  of  Brooklyn  is  25  miles. 
The  city  at  the  present  time  has  contracts  in  hand  approximating  half  a 
million  dollars,  for  straightening  the  channel  to  Mill  Basin.  No  other  city 
in  the  country  can  offer  such  accommodation  for  foreign  commerce  as  can 
Brooklyn. 


I'age  Ten 


Piers 

The  waterfront  of  Brooklyn  is  lined  with  piers,  five  of  which,  the  Largest 
in  the  world,  have  a  length  of  1,740  feet  each. 


Total  number  of  piers,  publicly  and  privately  owned   1S7 

Piers  privately  owned   151 

Owned  by  the  City  of  New  York   22 

Owned  by  the  State  of  New  York   4 

Owned  by  the  United  States  Government   10 

Total  side  wharfage  of  111  commercial  piers  25  miles 

Total  side  wharfage  for  overseas  steamships  15.65  miles 


The  Jamaica  Bay  project  provides  for  the  construction  of  fourteen  new- 
piers,  each  1,000  feet  in  length,  together  with  the  necessary  warehouses, 
railroad  tracks  and  modern  warehouse  and  terminal  facilities.  As  speedily 
as  may  be,  the  City  of  New  York  is  proceeding;  to  the  further  development 
of  the  Brooklyn  waterfront.  New  piers  are  proposed  at  Flushing  Bay, 
Jamaica  Bay,  Gravesend  Bav  and  Bav  Ridge,  with  a  total  side  wharfage  of 
\  79,500  lineal  feet. 


Page  Eleven 


V 


Available  Industrial  Sites 

The  density  of  population  in  Brooklyn  is  but  a  quarter  of  that  of  Manhat- 
tan. With  her  51,807  acres  and  a  density  of  39  inhabitants  to  the  acre, 
compared  with  Manhattan's  density  of  162,  Brooklyn  still  has  vast  open  spaces 
for  both  industrial  and  home  development. 

In  the  Newtown  Creek  industrial  district  there  are  hundreds  of  undeveloped 
areas  for  factory  sites.  Available  plots  amounting  to  dozens  of  acres,  with  few 
restrictions  and  ample  transportation  facilities  for  heavy  freight,  located 
close  to  a  plentiful  supply  of  labor,  make  this  region  attractive  for  heavy 
industries.  A  typical  plant  located  in  this  district  is  one  equipped  for  heavy 
manufacturing  requiring  considerable  acreage  for  extensive  buildings,  storage 
facilities,  docks  or  railroad  sidings. 

In  addition  to  the  hundreds  of  acres  in  this  district  now  being  used  by  indus- 
tries, there  are  more  than  500  acres  still  available.  This  undeveloped  section 
alone  exceeds  by  200  acres  the  entire  area  of  the  Central  Manufacturing 
District  of  Chicago.  Much  of  this  territory  is  either  on  or  near  the  Creek. 
A  great  deal  of  it  is  served  by  the  Long  Island  Railroad,  and  the  remainder 
lies  in  the  course  of' the  proposed  Marginal  Railway.  The  selling  price  of  the 
available  land  varies,  of  course,  according  to  its  location,  character  and  facili- 
ties. The  sites  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Newtown  Creek,  on  the  Brooklyn  side, 
range  from  20  cents  up,  per  square  foot. 

There  are  approximately  48,425  parcels  of  unimproved  land  in  various 
sections  of  Brooklyn.  One  of  the  rapidly  growing  industrial  centers  is  in  the 
Bushwick  section.  The  Bushwick  station  and  the  Varick  Avenue  yards  of 
the  Long  Island  Railroad  serve  the  manufacturers  of  this  district  exclusively. 
It  is  hoped  that  within  a  short  time  the  Long  Island  Railroad's  petition  to 
increase  the  team  track  facilities  in  this  section,  so  that  an  additional  190 
cars  may  be  accommodated,  will  be  favorably  acted  upon  by  the  city  authorities. 
Labor,  transportation,  rents,  etc.,  are  so  favorable  in  this  region  that  industry 
brings  attractive  returns.  Manufacturers  are  not  only  glad  they  have  come, 
glad  to  stay,  but  soon  begin  to  expand. 


Page  Twelve 


Page  Thirteen 


Jamaica  Bay 

The  plans  for  the  development  of  the  Port  of  New  York  provide  for 
direct  rail  connections  with  Jamaica  Bay,  which  lies  at  the  very  front  door  of 
the  port,  as  well  as  the  construction  of  14  new  piers,  each  1,000  feet  in  length, 
with  the  necessary  warehouses,  railroad  tracks  and  modern  warehouses  and  ter- 
minal facilities.  The  city  has  under  way  at  Jamaica  Bay  one-half  million 
dollars'  worth  of  work  in  straightening  the  channel  from  Jamaica  Bay  to  Mill 
Basin  and  to  bulkhead  across  several  creeks  in  order  to  make  possible  the 
extension  of  Flatbush  Avenue,  which  is  regarded  as  the  gateway  to  Jamaica 
Bay.  When  the  elaborate  plans  for  the  development  of  this  section  are  realized, 
it  will  provide  an  industrial  and  commercial  development  of  great  magnitude. 


Page  Fourteen 


Page  Fifteen 


Map  Showing  Transportation  Facilities 
of  Brooklyn  with  Proposed  Freight 
Tunnels  and  Marginal  Railroad  Con- 
necting   all   Transcontinental  Lines 


Page  Sixteen 


Rapid  Transit 


Brooklyx  with  its  completed  and  contemplated  lines  is  a  part  of  the 
greatest  rapid  transit  system  in  the  world.  The  Brooklyn  Rapid  Transit 
and  Interborough  Rapid  Transit  systems  each  average  nearly  3.000,000 
passengers  per  day.  Extensive  plans  are  under  consideration  for  the  expansion 
of  the  present  rapid  transit  system.  This  expansion  when  completed  will 
make  available,  to  practically  every  section  of  Greater  New  York,  rapid 
transit  service  at  a  five  cent  fare  and  will  open  new  sections  for  both 
industrial  and  home  development. 


I'    FAIRCHILD    AtMAL    CAMERA  CORP. 


Scene  in  Greenpoint,  Brooklyn 


Public  Utilities 


The  rates  for  electric  current,  gas  and  telephone  service  in  Brooklyn  are 
similar  to  those  of  the  other  boroughs  of  New  York  City,  and  compare  favor- 
ably with  those  of  other  large  cities  of  the  country.  Special  rates  are  offered 
to  large  consumers  of  gas  and  electric  current,  and  the  telephone  rates  cover 
a  wide  range  of  cost,  depending  upon  requirements. 

The  immensity  of  the  service  rendered  by  the  public  utilities  can  be  better 
realized  when  it  is  considered  that  20.409.541,400  cu.  ft.  of  gas.  381,232  300 
k.  w.  hrs.  of  electric  current  are  consumed  by  the  people  of  Brooklyn  each 
year,  and  303,533,100  outgoing  telephone  calls  were  routed  through  the 
Brooklyn  exchanges  during  the  past  year. 

The  present  efficient  service  was  obtained  by  conscientious  effort,  and  all  the 
energies  of  the  public  utilities  are  directed  towards  the  improvement  of 
the  service  in  every  way. 


Page  Eighteen 


Banking 

BROOKLYN  is  fortunate  in  possessing  the  great  triumvirate:  men,  materia! 
and  money,  essential  for  the  necessary  expansion  of  a  community.  There  are 
84  financial  institutions  and  branches  within  the  borough  of  Brooklyn,  and  it  is 
next  door  to  the  financial  center  of  the  United  States. 

Brooklyn  has: 

5    National  Banks  with  resources  of   $46,000,000 

35    State  Banks  (and  branches)  with  resources  of   65,000,000 

20    Trust  Companies   (and  branches)   with  resources  of   206,000,0(H I 

24    Savings  Banks  (and  branches)   with  deposits  of   586,000,000 

The  Savings  Banks  deposits  represent  more  than  800,000  depositors,  w  ho 
receive  more  than  $20,000,000  per  year  interest.  The  banks  are  vitally 
interested  in  the  development  of  Brooklyn.  They  encourage  thrift  among 
the  employees  and  expansion  among  the  employers,  where  such  expansion 
is  justified  by  the  rules  of  good  business. 


©  FAIRCHILD   AERIAL   CAMERA  CORP 


Part  of  the  Rapid  Transit  System 


Page  Nineteen 


Retailing 

The  retail  purchasing  power  of  Brooklyn  has  been  estimated  to  be  one 
billion  dollars  a  year.  Brooklyn  merchants  have  jealously  guarded  this  local 
patronage,  and  have  held  the  confidence  and  good-will  of  the  community  by 
keeping  in  the  front  rank  of  the  retail  stores  of  the  greater  city.  Shopping 
facilities  and  opportunities  in  Brooklyn  are  on  a  par  with  those  of  Manhattan, 
with  its  great  retail  establishments.    Competition  has  insisted  this  be  so. 

The  department  stores  in  Brooklyn,  which  do  a  combined  business  of  more 
than  a  hundred  million  dollars  per  year,  are  served  by  transportation  from 
all  points  of  the  compass,  and  it  is  as  easy  to  shop  here,  from  Manhattan  and 
Long  Island,  by  reason  of  read}-  subway  and  suburban  service,  as  it  is  to 
shop  in  Manhattan  itself.  For  immediate  household  service  there  are  more 
than  30,000  retail  stores  in  Brooklyn  available  to  more  than  7,000,000  people 
of  Greater  New  York  and  Long  Island. 


Home  Community 

Brooklyn  has  long  been  known  as  the  "City  of  Homes,"  and  every  year 
building  operations  uphold  this  reputation.  Demand  for  an  annual  increase 
of  8,000  homes  has  had  to  be  met  since  the  war  in  addition  to  making  good 
the  shortage  created  during  the  war.  Today  the  demand  is  for  10  000  new 
homes  per  year.  As  a  result,  building  operations  for  two  years  have  been  on  a 
vast  scale. 

In  1921  there  were  completed,  in  Brooklvn,  homes  for  6,854  families,  at  a 
cost  of  $37,040,570. 

This  gave  Brooklyn  a  total  of 

One-family    houses   70,725 

Two-family  houses   55,054 

Apartment   houses   48,884 

Filing  of  building  plans  during  1922  set  a  new  record  for  volume  and 
was  larger  than  for  any  other  community  in  the  United  States.  Plans  filed  in 
twelve  months: 

Total  City  of  New  York: 

New   Buildings   46,419 

Estimated  cost   $568,591,076 

Borough  of  Brooklyn: 

New   Buildings   21,105 

Estimated  cost   $194,301,755 

Alterations    $211,627,417 

Total  Dwellings.   13,754 

Number  of  families   33,234 

Apartment  houses   1,242 

Number  of  families   15,403 

The  majority  of  the  people  of  Brooklyn  are  of  moderate  means.  There 
is  no  spectacular  display  of  wealth.  There  are  well-to-do  business  and  pro- 
fessional men,  comfortably  situated  salaried  employees,  and  thrifty  wage- 
earners.  The  cost  of  living  in  Brooklyn  is  lower  than  in  many  large  cities  of 
the  country.  Individual  home  owning  and  saving  accounts  evidence  the  thrift 
of  her  people. 


Page  Twenty-one 


The  building  plans  in  1922,  in  addition  to  the  dwellings,  provided  for 


296    Factories    $9,736,095 

5,728    Garages    6,565,565 

325    Stores    2,885,860 

5  Theatres    523,500 

25    Churches    1,122,000 

22    Schools    7,803,000 

10    Office  Buildings    2,815,000 

6  Banks    1,325,000 

6    Hospitals    985,000 

1    Coney  Island  Board  Walk   (Brick)   1,900,000 


Health  and  Climate 

Brooklyn  ranks  among  the  first  cities  in  its  health  records  and  low 
mortality  rate.  It  is  even  lower  than  the  average  for  the  entire  City  of  New 
York  and  considerably  lower  than  the  rate  in  several  leading  American  cities. 


Greater  New  York   12.9  per  1000 

Chicago    12.8  " 

Philadelphia    14.5  " 

Boston    15.5  " 

St.  Louis   14.1  " 

Baltimore   15.4  " 

Brooklyn    12.5  " 


Conducive  to  the  low  death  rate  of  Brooklyn  is  the  water  supply,  one  of 
the  finest  and  purest  in  the  world. 


Population 


The  population  of  Brooklyn  has  shown  a  steady  increase  as  the  following 
table  will  show: 

1790                                                 4,495      1890   838,547 

1830                                                20,535      1900   1,166,582 

I860                                              279,122      1910   1,634,351 

1920   2,018,356 

1921   2,077,674 

1922   2,117,227 

In  area,  Brooklyn  is  more  than  three  times  the  size  of  Manhattan,  and  has 

relatively  unlimited  room  in  which  to  grow.  The  five  boroughs  of  the 
Cireater  City  compare  as  follows  for  1920: 

Population  Acreage 

Manhattan                                             2,284,103  14,056 

Brooklyn                                                2,018,356  51,807 

The  Bronx                                              732,016  21,680 

Queens                                                     469,042  77,516 

Richmond                                                 116,531  36,600 

Brooklyn  has  thirty-nine  residents  per  acre.  During  the  past  few  years 
the  population  has  increased  at  the  rate  of  more  than  50,000  per  year.  One 
in  every  five  residents  of  the  State  of  New  York  lives  in  Brooklyn. 


(Q  FAIRCH ILD   AERIAL   CAMERA  CORP. 

Section  of  Industrial  Home  Development 


Page  Twenty-three 


Education  and  Recreation 

Long  before  the  thirteen  colonies  had  become  the  United  States  of 
America,  the  village  of  Brooklyn  was  noted  for  the  excellence  of  its  educational 
institutions,  and  students  came  to  its  schools  from  long  distances.  That  pre- 
eminence has  never  been  lost,  and  Brooklyn  is  famed  for  its  splendid  public 
school  system,  its  many  excellent  private  schools  and  for  other  institutions 
affording  special  educational  facilities.  Brooklyn's  public  school  enrollment 
is  the  second  largest  in  the  country,  being  exceeded  only  by  that  of  Chicago: 
Brooklyn  has 

Public  High  Schools   11  35,253  pupils 

Public  Elementary  Schools   180  323,610 

Parochial  High  Schools   25  6,237  " 

Parochial  Elementary  Schools   82  61,512 

In  addition  to  the  above  there  is  a  large  number  of  excellent  private  schools 
of  all  grades. 

The  Borough's  educational  facilities  are  augmented  by  the  Brooklyn 
Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  which  has  10,696  members,  and  which  gave 
over  300  lectures  and  concerts  during  1921-22,  with  a  total  attendance  of 
823,728.  The  institute  maintains  a  school  of  pedagogy  which  has  a  registration 
of  992  students  in  31  classes.  The  institute  conducts  the  Brooklyn  Botanic 
Garden  adjoining  Prospect  Park,  which  had  a  record  of  397,537  visitors  in 
1922  and  an  attendance  of  over  78,861  at  its  classes.  The  institute  also 
supplies  study  material  for  70,387  public  school  children  and  1,842  teachers. 
1  antern  slides  and  lectures  were  furnished  to  42  teachers  with  5,420  pupils. 
Packages  of  seeds,  76,528  in  number,  were  distributed  to  homes  and  schools. 


Page  Twenty -four 


Another  feature  of  the  work  of  the  institute  is  the  Brooklyn  Museum  on 
Eastern  Parkway,  the  first  part  of  which  was  constructed  in  1897.  The 
huilding  now  has  a  total  interior  length  of  470  feet,  w  ith  a  new  section  under 
construction.  It  maintains  collections  of  paintings,  statuary,  antiquities, 
textiles,  architectural  art,  ethnology,  natural  history  and  an  excellent  lihrary 
open  to  the  public.    The  institute  also  maintains  a  children's  museum. 

The  Brooklyn  Public  Library  has  31  branches  and  3  stations,  and  a  total  of 
943,864  volumes.  It  has  365,757  registered  borrowers,  and  a  total  circulation 
during  1922  of  6,040,482  volumes.  A  central  building  at  the  main  entrance 
of  Prospect  Park  is  in  course  of  construction  for  the  library. 

Opportunities  for  recreation  for  Brooklynites  are  numerous  and  excellent. 
The  borough  possesses  the  world's  most  famous  playground,  Coney  Island, 
and  enjoys  also  a  splendid  group  of  parks  and  parkways,  and  many  playgrounds 
provided  by  the  city  and  by  private  organizations,  easy  access  for  automobilists 
to  the  resorts  on  the  north  and  south  shores  of  Long  Island,  and  a  great  number 
of  theatres  serving  every  section  of  the  borough. 


Development  of  the  subway  systems  in  recent  years  has  made  it  a  simple 
matter  for  the  millions  of  residents  of  the  Greater  City,  and  for  the  many 
visitors,  to  get  to  Coney  Island,  and  this  famous  seaside  resort  is  thronged 
every  pleasant  day  of  the  Summer.  On  a  Saturday  afternoon  or  Sunday,  in 
the  warmer  months  of  the  year,  it  is  not  exceptional  for  an  attendance  of  a 
quarter  of  a  million  to  gather  at  Coney  Island.  Other  resorts  along  the 
ocean  front  are  also  popular  and  the  ease  with  wThich  Brooklynites  can  get 
to  the  cooling  breezes  of  the  ocean  is  one  of  the  chief  features  of  the  recrea- 
tional side  of  the  life  of  the  community. 

Brooklyn's  51  parks  total  1,165  acres,  and  its  15  parkways  have  a  total 
length  of  30  miles.  The  largest  part  of  the  system  is  Prospect  Park,  consisting 
of  526  acres  acquired  in  1859  and  completed  in  1867.  This  park  is  famed 
for  its  natural  beauty. 

Fort  Greene  Park  is  noted  for  preserving  part  of  the  fortifications  thrown 
up  by  the  patriotic  forces  in  the  Battle  of  Long  Island.  It  is  also  the  burying 
place  of  the  Prison  Ship  Martyrs. 

Practically  all  the  streets  of  Brooklyn  are  asphalted,  making  automobiling 
popular  in  every  season.  The  parks  and  parkways  accommodate  thousands  of 
cars  on  pleasant  days.  Three  main  highways  running  out  into  Long  Island 
from  Brooklyn  along  the  North  and  South  shores  and  through  the  center  of 
the  island,  attract  many  Brooklyn  motorists  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays  and 
lead  to  many  interesting  places  in  Nassau  and  Suffolk  Counties. 

Motion  picture  theatres  have  been  erected  in  every  part  of  Brooklyn  and 
there  is  no  section  which  cannot  conveniently  enjoy  an  excellent  evening's 
entertainment  at  a  low  price.  There  are  also  many  splendid  vaudeville 
houses  and  three  theatres  showing  the  leading  Broadway  attractions. 


Churches 

Brooklyn  has  been  truly  named  the  City  of  Churches.  There  are  582 
churches  in  the  borough,  representing  all  denominations. 

Hospitals 

Brooklyn  has  provided  well  for  the  aged  and  indigent  with  hospitals 
and  homes.  Free  clinics  have  been  established  in  all  hospitals  where  the 
services  rendered  are  of  the  highest.  The  medical  profession  of  Brooklyn 
is  represented  by  some  of  the  keenest  minds  and  ablest  practitioners  in  the 
world. 


Social  and  Physical  Opportunities 

Brooklyn  offers  many  advantages  for  the  social  and  physical  development  of 
its  people  through  such  organizations  as  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, Knights  of  Columbus,  Brooklyn  Jewish  Centre,  Masonic  Orders,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  Odd  Fellows,  B.  P.  O.  Elks,  and  many  other  similar  organizations. 


EACLE  PHOTO 


Brooklyn's  Assessed  Valuation  and 

Tax  Rate 


Total  Tax 

Assessment  Rate 

Year                               Real                      Personal  Real 

1911                                   $1,689,171,283          $55,855,616  $1.75 

1915                                    1,699,912,426            43,606,010  1.92 

1920                                    1,937,811,205            41,192,900  2.49 

1921                                     2,395,486,473            37,741,850  2.80 

1922                                    2,447,036,937            38,908,850  2.76 


Posl:  Office 


Brooklyn  has  a  separate  post  office  with  its  own  postmaster  and  some 
2,686  postal  employees.  The  extent  of  the  business  handled  in  1922  is  shown 
by  the  following  table: 

Pieces  of  mail  delivered   494,059,734 

Pieces  of  mail  received   395,841,989 

Gross  receipts  value  of  stamps  sold   $6,464,835.26 

Value  of  money  orders  issued   20,574,789.36 

Postal  savings  deposits   12,975,568.00 

Number  of  depositors   41,951 

Money  Orders  paid..   $17,461,823.93 

Increase  of  gross  receipts  over  1921   $800,564.78 

Number  of  carrier  stations   27 

"  contract     "    190 

"        "  vehicles    134 

"   miles  operated   1922   1,921,788 

Letters  sent  to  dead  letter  office   416,708 


Page  Thirty 


Page  Thirty-two 


BROOKLYN 
INDUSTRIAL  EXPOSITION 


One  of  the  largest  and  most  complete 
Industrial  Expositions  in  the  country  is  held 
each  year  in  Brooklyn  to  show  the  variety, 
quality  and  quantity  of  Brooklyn  products, 
which  total  in  value  more  than  $1,180,000,- 
000  each  year.  There  was  an  attendance  of 
more  than  162,000  in  six  days  at  the  1922 
Exposition,  and  the  1923  Exposition,  to  be 
held  April  7-14,  will  be  even  more  successful. 
This  Exposition  is  promoted  and  managed 
entirely  by  public  spirited  citizens  who 
deserve  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  their  sac- 
rifice and  enterprise  for  Brooklyn. 


